Jacques Chiron's Astroturf-covered Volkswagen Jetta runs on biodiesel he make with used vegetable oil from The Chippery.
Justin Runquist
Barometer Staff Photographer
Editors Note: This is the second of a three-part series focusing on natural fuel sources.
For many returning students and Corvallis locals, the sight of a car covered in grass has become almost commonplace, but for some, that vision may still come as a surprise.
Jacques Chiron has grown accustomed to the stares of passers-by when he motors around Corvallis in his 1982 Volkswagen Jetta.
"I used to be able to look at other drivers and be very attentive," he said. "Now I'm finding I can't look at anyone anymore because everyone's looking at me."
The source of the public's interest is not Chiron himself, but rather his shaggy, green, Astroturf-covered car.
"I wanted to put grass on a car for years and years," Chiron explained. "And since this one runs on biodiesel, my wife suggested to put it on this one, to promote biodiesel."
Born and raised in France, Chiron moved to Corvallis seven years ago. His perennial interest in environmental issues led him to seek information on alternative fuels. He began making his own biodiesel two-and-a-half years ago.
Chiron's first biodiesel car was a VW Rabbit with a bad clutch, which he sold to purchase his Jetta a year and a half ago. The Jetta was transformed over two ten-hour days, with the Astroturf, two gallons of contact cement "and a lot of elbow grease," Chiron explained.
"Those were two very long days," he remembered. "Never again!"
Making the fuel for the grass car is something he continues to do monthly. He collects used vegetable oil donated by The Chippery on First street downtown, mixes it with alcohol using a salvaged motor and heats it up in an old water heater he converted for his purposes.
"It's all pretty easy stuff, and cheap," he said. "It's an easy renewable fuel to use, and it's something you can do at home."
Chiron produces and uses about 25 gallons of biodiesel every month. With his fuel-efficient car averaging 40 miles per gallon, Chiron estimates he has driven 60,000 miles on biodiesel in the 2.5 years he has been making it.
"It feels good to be able to go down the road on fuel you made yourself," he said.
Biodiesel is gaining popularity throughout the country, and several large manufacturers now provide biodiesel for consumers. Many fleets of government vehicles use biodiesel, and school busses in many cities across the nation are powered with it. The city of Berkeley, Calif., now runs all of its diesel vehicles on B100, 100 percent biodiesel fuel. The generators powering the stages, tents and festivities for last summer's Lollapalooza 2003 tour all burned B100.
Biodiesel is not just for cars, either. Geosciences professor Steve Cook, who teaches environmental conservation at OSU, heats his house using biodiesel.
Cook's Corvallis home is 40 years old. "That forty year old furnace was not very efficient," he said. "I decided to try burning biodiesel in my oil furnace."
He has been quite satisfied with the result, and he and his wife used 500 gallons of biodiesel in their heater last winter.
Other users of biodiesel for household heating have reported some leakage trouble. The alcohol in biodiesel can damage gaskets and seals in furnaces to cause leaks, and the high lubricity of the fuel causes it to naturally find cracks in the piping and seep through. Cook hasn't experienced any of these problems personally, however.
Cook currently runs his furnace on a blend of 80 percent biodiesel and 20 percent pure vegetable oil. He is trying to convert the stove to pure vegetable oil, which is even more environmentally and economically friendly.
The Cooks pay the extra costs associated with using wind power to provide electric power and hot water for their home. Cook and his wife are currently shopping around for a diesel engine vehicle to run on biodiesel.
"Then at least our little corner of 23rd street will be fossil-fuel free," he said.
One of the best parts about using biodiesel, Cook said, is "it makes you feel good." He explains this is an important aspect of environmentally conscious living. "It shouldn't be a burden, or a hassle."
Cook gets his supply of biodiesel from Grease Works!, the biodiesel co-operative in Corvallis. With 28 members in the co-op, the popularity of biodiesel in Corvallis is evident.
Chiron estimates that Corvallis is one of the top ten cities in the U.S. for per capita usage of biodiesel. "That's not a bad top ten to be on," he said.
For more information on Chiron and the grass car, visit his website, www.grass-car.com.
Brenna Doheny covers campus news for The Daily Barometer. She can be reached at baro.campus@studentmedia.orst.edu or at 737-2232.